The Magic Whistle
by Kenna1990
Summary: Cavan is unaware that his enemy, Caeth is planning to overthrow him and take over his kingdom, but the plans are overheard by Thunder, a comrade of Cavan's ally, Lightning. Will they be able to protect Cavan's kingdom or will it fall to Caeth?
1. Prologue

**The Magic Whistle**

**Prologue**

Nestled deep within the Emerald Mountains, and hidden deep in a valley between the highest peaks, lay the Silver Kingdom. Her capital city, Glasshaven, sat across the two banks of a river known to the outside world as the Crystal River. Here, in the Silver Kingdom, it was known as the Cobalt River, so named for its deep blue waters. In some places, the water could be mistaken for black. Glasshaven took up both sides of the river; the two halves were connected by several bridges and a dirt road leading up to the single shallow ford. Houses and small shops lined the riverfront, and one could see at first glance where the class line divided.

On the western bank, the poorer folks lived in small houses; some were no better than shacks or lean-tos. The tallest homes on that bank were two stories, a very sharp contrast to the upper-class eastern bank. Glasshaven's nobility lived in huge homes made one white stone; not a one of them was smaller than three stories. Most were higher, with balconies on every level hanging out over cobblestone streets. If one followed the streets, any street, they would eventually find themselves in the market square; in the center lay a large, sprawling fountain of a man holding his cupped hands out; the water poured from them to splash at a pool at his feet. The man's finely crafted robes and the detailed crown on his head marked him as the king.

North of the village, just inside the walls of the city, a mighty castle stood. Its towers crafted of great grey stones, the castle's wrought iron gate hung open, and the brass handles waited for the guards to close them come nightfall. The courtyard inside the gate was little more than a wide open space filled with decorated plants and more fountains. The largest of these fountains stood in the middle of the yard.

The man from the city fountain, the king, stood with his arm wrapped around a woman with a kind, gentle face. His other hand rose into the air above his head; the woman, the queen, leaned against him, smiling up as water cascaded from the king's hand, and rainbows flashed everywhere.

* * *

Inside the castle, the rainbows didn't vanish. Each room was a blast of color, from rich purples to bright yellows and oranges that would hurt the eyes were they not so beautiful. One such room, the dining room, where the king currently sat with his family, was filled with contrasting colors, reds and blues and purples and greens.

A long blue carpet covered most of the wooden floor, and the mahogany table set brought out the deeper shades of red from the tapestries and stained glass on and in the walls; now, of course, the table was laid with a white cloth for dinner, but a vase filled with flowers brought some color even there. On either side of the vase sat two candles, their bright orange flames dancing merrily in the gentle breeze from an open window.

Three children, two boys and a girl, sat playing with the remains of their dinner as their parents chatted softly. A servant interrupted the quaint scene, a scared look on his face; he walked smartly up to King Caeth. "Your Highness!" he cried. "I have an urgent message!" He bowed to the king and his wife, holding out a folded piece of paper for Caeth's eyes. He accepted the message, read it, and closed his eyes when he was done. He took a deep breath and stood.

"Sorcha, children?" he asked. His wife and children glanced up at him. "Leave at _once_!"

Sorcha nodded and spoke to her children. "Come, children, your father must talk with the other knights." Her sons, Jarlath and Dahy, followed her out of the room; her daughter, Ryanne, stayed put. At the door, Sorcha turned and motioned for her daughter to come with her. Ryanne stubbornly looked from her mother to her father, and then back again.

Caeth looked at her and said as gently as he could, "Ryanne, my sweet angel, go with your mother." She huffed, stared at him a little while longer, but finally left the room with her mother. Another servant came in and cleared their plates away. Once she had gone and Caeth knew his family was out of earshot, he yelled for his lead general. The man entered immediately- 'H_e must have been waiting,_' Caeth thought, grinning- and bowed to his king. "Gather my generals at once!" It didn't take Kothu long to gather them all, and soon they stood in a ring around the dining table.

Caeth pulled out a map that a servant had brought for him while the generals gathered and laid it on the table. He tapped it absently as he addressed his men. "It has come to my attention that King Cavan has decided our peace treaty no longer applies to him." The generals sighed and shook their heads. Caeth ignored this. "Therefore I see it as only fitting to attack his kingdom and annihilate him. End this nuisance once and for all!"

All the men except a small handful cheered at this; one of those who remained silent rose.

"But what about that wolf that protects Cavan's kingdom?" he asked. Another man looked at him oddly.

"Lightning?" He snorted derisively. "That fleabag doesn't stand a chance!"

"But he isn't alone!" the first man insisted. "He has a friend, Thunder."

"What can two wolves alone do?" Caeth slammed his fists down on the table; the men froze and stared at the king as he glared at each of them in turn. "Those wolves may not be strong alone, but they will bring their packs together, and they will come up against us." He sighed and rubbed his face. "And they will defeat us, just like they did before!" His generals looked around at each other, puzzled.

Another stood again. "Is there any way to stop them?" he asked.

Caeth looked up again with an evil smile. "Yes, there is".

* * *

Unbeknownst to the men, a black wolf sat in the cobblestone walkway of the back courtyard. Thunder's golden eyes were fixed to the open dining room window; he could hear Caeth talking to his men inside. Unfortunately, he wouldn't get any more chances to listen to their plans; his ears twitched. Pounding footsteps sounded from behind him. Thunder turned to see two guards and two dogs running at him.

The dogs snarled at the lone wolf; their handlers turned them loose, and they bolted at Thunder, growling and howling. '_Maybe now is a good time to go…_' Thunder thought. He bolted out of the courtyard with the dogs and guards close on his heels. They stayed behind him all the way to the forest's edge, but Thunder's black pelt hid him in the shadows of the trees. The wolf vanished from sight, and the guards refused to risk death in the forest.

* * *

Thunder ignored the frustrated howls of the dogs behind him and ran deep into the forest. Eventually, he came to a halt, panting from his exertions, at the feet of a brown wolf with bright green eyes. Lightning was waiting for him. "What did you find out?"

"Caeth is going to attack Cavan's kingdom."

Lightning huffed. "When?"

Thunder rolled his shoulders in a parody of a shrug. "I don't know," he said. "The guards chased me out before I could learn anything more." Lightning sighed and walked away; Thunder followed him. They walked in silence until the rising sun's light touched their coats and his daytime warmth broke the moon's chill. They stopped on a rise outside the forest's other edge and stared down into Cavan's homeland, the Bronze Kingdom. Lightning looked at his companion.

"It will be a while before Caeth reaches here," he said. "In the meantime, we must keep watch on Caeth and his men." Thunder chuffed in confusion.

"How can we warn Cavan if both of us are watching Caeth?"

Lightning nipped his second's shoulder. "Thunder, take your pack and watch Caeth. I will go down there," he pointed his black-speckled snout at the city below, "and warn Cavan." He tore his eyes from Thunder's and looked back down into the Bronze Valey. "We must do whatever it takes."

**CHAPTERS 1-6 WILL BE UPLOADED JULY 31**

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	2. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

Outside of the dining hall door stood a young ten-year-old boy. The boy was small and had short brown hair and blue eyes and was wearing blue pajamas. He was Caeth's youngest son, Dahy. He had one ear pressed against the door listening to his father talking to the knights. Suddenly, he heard footsteps walking towards him and turned around and saw his older brother, Jarlath, walking towards him. He was sixteen-years-old and had dark brown hair and green eyes. He too, was wearing pajamas. Jarlath approached his brother.

"Dahy, what are you doing?" He whispered softy into his ear. Dahy silently stepped away from the door and gave him the 'what does it look I'm doing' look. Jarlath sighed and whispered, "You know we are not allowed to listen in on Father's plans. Come, it's time for bed." The young boy huffed and followed his brother down the candle-lit hall to their room.

Once they got in the room, Dahy climbed up on his bed and looked at his brother as he left his bedside. "Jarlath, Father is planning on taking over Cavan's kingdom!" he yelled. Jarlath sighed, turned around and gave his brother a hard look.

"Dahy, keep your voice down, you'll wake up Ryanne." He walked back to Dahy's bedside.

"Sorry…." Dahy whispered. The two boys sat and talked for a bit and then they heard a knock at the door. "Come in". Ryanne walked into the room. She was a young child of six, had blue eyes and long wavy brown hair; she was also wearing a light blue nightgown. She looked at her brothers and gave them a sad look. Jarlath sighed as she started crying.

"I don't want Daddy to leave," Ryanne cried out with tears flowing down her cheeks. Jarlath motion her to come to them. She walked over; Jarlath tried to explain to her that their father had to leave and that fighting is what he does, but that only made her eyes pour out even more tears thinking about the danger their father puts himself in. Jarlath picked his sister up and held her in his arms. Ryanne curled up in his lap and he started to hum a lullaby to her.

_Suanmhar sìtheach go là_

_`measc na lilì__`sna mblàth_

_Go mbeir-se__a stòr_

_gan__tuirse__gan__bròn_

_seoithìn seò uilleò lò, seoithìn, seò__`s__tu mo mhaoin_

The crying eventually stopped and she fell into the peaceful embrace of slumber and dreams. Jarlath carried her back to her room and put her back in her bed and walked out back to his room.  
He looked at Dahy, then out the window and said, "I hope Father knows what he is doing…"

* * *

Back in the dining room, Caeth finished his meeting with the generals and knights and sent them away. As he walked out, he noticed Sorcha standing in the hallway. She was leaning against a pillar wearing a purple robe and her black hair came down to her waist. She smiled at the king and walked over to him, placing a hand on his bearded chin.

"How did it go my love?" she asked and he smiled.

"It went very well." He replied, wrapping both arms around her waist. "Now that my royal business is done, why don't we go have a little fun?" he asked in a sexual tone and the queen chuckled.

"As you wish my king…" she whispered back and he led her down the hallway to their room.

The room was made of mahogany wood and there were doors that led out to a small balcony. The bed was black iron with a soft mattress and pillows. The covers, sheets, and pillows were blood red.

The couple entered the room and Caeth closed the door, locking it. He led Sorcha to the bed and as she lay down, he laid ontop of her. "Now, let's see what you have under that robe…." He said, untying it and as it fell off, he smiled at the sight of his mate's sheer purple nightgown. "Beautiful." He whispered, continuing, "Now let's see what you have underneath…" The queen smiled and slipped off the gown, revealing her well-endowed breasts.

"Send me to the stars once again my love…." She whispered and he gave a sexual smile.

"With pleasure my dear." He said and began to massage her breasts. She let out low-toned moans as he twisted her nipples. He then began to suck one, while still massaging the other and his mate's moans grew louder. "Now for the real fun…." He whispered as he sat up, unbuckled his pants, revealing his manhood and lowered himself down again, slowly pushing into his mate. As the mating ritual continued, the king was unaware that deep in the forest, a pack of wolves were making plans of their own.

* * *

Back in the forest, Lightning and Thunder stand before their pack inside the cave. Lightning was stand on top of a large rock looking at the packs. Thunder stands on a slightly smaller rock pedstel. In front of them sitting in a semicircle audience, the pack members of Lighthing and Thunder sit listening to their Alpha Leader.

"Brothers and Sisters, we have called you here tonight because Caeth has betrayed the wisdom of his forefathers and advisors. He plans to attack our pack ally." Lighting stated as the other wolves looked at each other and mumbled amongst themselves.

Thunder raised his voice over the chatter saying "SILENCE EVERYONE!" Thunder turned to Lighting, "My pack will come with me and we will keep watch on the Caeth and his foolish men. Lightning your pack will stay here and protect Cavan's kingdom. You must be his pack's guardian."

Lightning jumped off his rock and the other wolves stood at attention as he paced in front of them, following his movements with their eyes. Lighting stands firm and says, "This will be dangerous, but we must do whatever they can to protect Cavan, his family, and the kingdom, so one day peace will be restored to our lands." A small ray of moonlight shine through the small hole at the top of cave. Lightning's pendant glows a beautiful blue green glitter in the moonlight.

"Brothers and Sisters it time to go may our ancestors watch over us" As Lighting's pack began to leave, Thunder said to his pack, "We will meet here tomorrow." He jumped off his rock and followed Lightning outside of the cave. Their packs went back to their caves as Thunder and Lightning followed behind them. As Thunder walked in the direction his pack had gone, Lightning called out to him, "Be careful. Ceath the Betrayer will kill you on site. Be safe my brother," Thunder nodded in agreement and raced off after his pack.

Lightning walked into his cave and saw his cubs playing with each other. There were seven of them, four females and three males. The females, like their mother, had light brown fur and blue eyes. Their names were Blaze, Terra, Kaze and Star.

Blaze was the oldest female cub. She had a dark brown stripe starting at the top of her head and went down her back to the tip of her tail. The collar around her neck was orange and had a red amulet. Star had a star-shaped patch of dark brown fur on her forehead. Terra had mostly dark brown fur, but her paws were a lighter brown. She also wore a red collar with a black stone amulet. Kaze was mostly light brown, but her legs were a darker brown.

The males looked like their father, but also had different markings. The youngest male, Patch, had a light patch of brown fur around one his eyes. Another male, Logan, was older than the other cubs. He was about the size of his mother and had a dark brown stripe going down his forehead to his nose. Kori, was another small male. He has the same markings as his father, the fur on the top half of his body is dark brown, the fur on the bottom part of his body is light brown.

Star, upon seeing her father, bounded towards him and as he sat down smiling at her, she jumped up at him, trying to get him to play. The other cubs ran over to join her, barking and yapping. Patch climbed up his father's back and tried to bite his ear, but missed and fell off. Lightning chuckled as Hawnu, his mate, appeared from the shadows of the cave. She was a smaller brown wolf with light brown fur and blue eyes. "Children, leave your father alone." The cubs obeyed their mother and ran back into the shadows of the cave to finish their little game.

Lightning chuckled again and said, "You've always had a way with them." She chuckled back at him, and nuzzled his neck. He rested his head on top of hers and she asked him "How was the meeting?" He told her everything Thunder had told him, plus what happened at the meeting. Hawnu sighed and looked up at him. He looked down at her and said "I have to. Protecting Cavan's kingdom is my job. My father passed it down to me."

She nuzzled his neck again. "I know just….please be careful." He leaned his head against hers. "Don't worry." He placed a paw on top of one of hers. "I will."

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	3. Chapter 2: Hawnu's Painful Memory

**Chapter 2**

**A Painful Memory**

**A/N: The scene in italics is Hawnu's memory of when she lost two of her cubs.**

As the sun began to rise, Lightning stood up and stretched. He walked over to Logan, and nudged him, whispering, "Logan, come son. It's time to go." The wolf stood up, groggy and mumbled to himself as he followed his father out of the cave.

They continued walking and after a while, Lightning looked at Logan and said "Son, you know about my duties to the king." Logan nodded and his father continued, "It is a responsibility that has been passed down from father to son in our family for generations.

They reached a hill overlooking the kingdom. "For many years, I have been the protector of this kingdom." Lightning continued. "But one day, my time will be done, and you will be the next protector." Logan looked at his father, confused.

"Me?" Lightning nodded and Logan looked down at the small kingdom. "Father…I don't think I can…"

His father smiled and placed a paw ontop of his. "Son, you can do it."

Logan sighed. "Shouldn't one of my younger brothers do it?"

Lightning shook his head, no. "It is tradition. If the current protector has more than one male cub, the oldest takes on the responsibility when his fathers' time has passed." He noticed a worried look on the cubs' face and reassured him, "And you will meet Cavan's son, Ciaran. He is next in line to be king."

Logan looked at his father and he went on to explain, "When the son of the king and the son of the protector become friends, an alliance is formed. We are obliged to protect the royal family and their people."

"Does the king have any enemies Father?" the young wolf asked. Lightning nodded and stood up. "Yes…one."

Logan gulped and asked, "Who is it?"

Lightning replied with a hint of anger in his voice, "Caeth."

Logan then noticed a hint of hurt on his father's face. "Father, is something wrong?" The wolf regained his composure and explained to his son that Caeth was not only Cavan's enemy, but his as well.

When Logan asked why, his father said, "I will explain later. We must head back home." The two turned around and headed back to their cave.

Back inside the cave, Hawnu was busy nursing the two youngest cubs; Star and Patch. Blaze and the other cubs were outside playing. Kaze's ears perked up and she turned around to see her father and older brother. "Father! Logan!" she howled, running toward them. Lightning smiled and nuzzled his daugher's face. Logan walked into the cave and approached his mother.

Star and Patch finished sucking and ran off to play with each other, pouncing. Hawnu chuckled as the two rolled around and then started to chase each other. She turned around and saw Logan looking at her. "Hello son."

"Hey Mother." Logan replied. The mother wolf stood up and walked over to him.

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

"Mother?"

"Yes?" Hawnu replied and Logan took a deep breath before proceeding to ask his question.

"Why are Caeth and Father enemies?"

His mother sighed and turned away. "He did something terrible, something that your father and I have never forgotten…" Logan walked up to her.

"What did he do?"

She turned around and looked at him with tears in her eyes, "You and Blaze had two other littermates…"

Tears gathered in Logan's eyes. "What happened to them?"

"The four of you were playing in the forest and Caeth had sent his dogs to sniff out the area. They found the four of you and chased you, cornering you. Lightning and I tried to protect you but…"The tears that had gathered in her eyes feel down her face as she recalled that heart-breaking moment.

* * *

_Hawnu and Lightning heard the distress howls of their cubs and knew something was wrong. They raced towards them and saw one of the dogs had grabbed Moon by his neck and was biting down hard. Tears rolled down Hawnu's face as she heard the bones in her son's neck break and blood began to run down his throat. Stardust spotted her mother and bolted from her hiding spot, but was grabbed by another dog. He shook her a few times, then threw her against a tree. The young cub let out a yelp as she slammed into the tree and fell to the ground. _

"_NOOOOO."_ _Hawnu cried as she dashed out from the bushes and attacked the dogs. Lightning rushed in behind her and tackled the dog who was hurting Moon, causing the cub to fall to the ground. The two dogs fought hard, but soon realized that they were fighting two angry parents and with tails between their legs, they ran off. _

_Panting, Hawnu rushed over to Moon and laid down beside him. She gently nudged the young male with her snout, but he didn't move. Lightning approached Stardust and with one look, he knew his daughter was gone. His ears dropped to his muzzle as he gently picked her up and carried her to her mother laying her by her brother. Heartbroken, Hawnu nuzzled her two cubs and began to cry. A noise a few inches from Lightning made his ears perk up. He walked over to a bush and saw Logan and Blaze were still alive. They ran over to their mother who nuzzled them as a tear ran down her face. "At least I didn't lose you two…." She whispered._

* * *

"You and Blaze were the only ones we were able to save…" Logan's heart was filled with both grief and anger.

"Mother…" he said with a hint of iron in his voice. Hawnu turned around, looked him and he placed a paw on top of hers. "Caeth will pay for what he did to our family…I will make sure of that…"

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	4. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

**THUNDER'S RISKY MISSION**

The next morning, a mist covered the entire kingdom. At the castle, Caeth's men were waiting for him to give the signal to leave. As the king walked out of the castle, he turned around and walked up to his family. He bent down in front of his daughter, Ryanne, who threw her arms around her father and cried "Don't leave Daddy!"

He hugged her and whispered to her, "I'll be back darling. I promise."

He then looked at Dahy and said "Be good son, take care of your sister." Dahy nodded as his father turned to Jarlath. He placed a hand on his son's shoulder and said "Son, you are in charge while I'm gone. Take good care of your mother, brother, and sister."

Jarlath nodded and replied "I will Father." He then turned to his wife and compassionately kissed her.

She whispered to him "be safe" and he whispered back "I will." He turned around, walked down the steps, mounted his horse and rode out of the gate with his men right behind him. Ryanne cried as she watched her father ride off. She didn't know why, but she had a feeling this was the last time she would ever see him.

* * *

Deep in the forest, a pack of wolves gathered to leave. The alpha male, Thunder, lead the pack. Before they left, he gave this warning: "Stay out of sight. Caeth and his men will not hesitate to attack us. They also have dogs. Do not let the dogs see or hear you."

With that, he turned around and started to walk away. Lightning ran up in front of him and said "Brother, remember, do not fight unless it is necessary. You are to watch them and report back here." The black wolf nodded and howled. He disappeared into the forest with his pack behind him.

* * *

Caeth and his men reached the camp. There were over a hundred tents scattered about and a huge fire was burning in a pit in the middle. Some men were standing around the fire. Others were sitting down, drinking and laughing.

The king dismounted his horse and walked up to the men. They stood up and saluted him as he and the rest of the platoon approached. He looked at Kothu, one of the generals and motioned for him to follow. The two walked in silence until they reached the king's tent. They walked inside and sat at a table, Caeth on one end, Kothu at the other.

"So Kothu."

"Yes sir?" the man replied.

"Have you scouted the forest?" the king asked as the man nodded.

"Good. Any signs of that fleabag?" The man shook his head and explained that several men scouted the area, but there were no signs of the wolf or any of his comrades. Little did they know that, hidden in the shrubs behind their tent, Thunder and his pack were spying on them.

Concealed in the bushes, a pack of wolves watched the men. Thunder whispered to the wolf next to him, "Remember, we are only here to spy on them. Do not attack unless they attack us first." The other wolf nodded. They lay down and watched as the men talked and drank. A few minutes later, other members of the pack walked up to them. One of them pulled Thunder aside.

"How many have you seen?" the alpha asked.

"At least a dozen." The wolf replied as Thunder sighed. "That makes over a thousand men, counting the ones we have seen." The wolf went on to explain that the men have brought dogs with them. When Thunder asked how many, the pack member said "not many, but they look very strong…"

Right at that moment, one of the dogs walked towards where Thunder and his pack were hiding. "Stay down and don't move." The wolf leader whispered as the animal crept closer. Thunder peeked through the bushes and saw that it was a Doberman. It sniffed the air, but because of all the other scents in the air, did not pick up Thunder and his pack. The wolves relaxed and as soon as the dog walked away, Thunder whispered, "Everyone, back to the cave. We must tell Lightning."

The wolves nodded and they headed back to the cave where Lightning was waiting for them.

* * *

Thunder and his pack reached the cave and saw Lightning lying in the mouth. The wolf stood up and walked over to them. "What did you see?" he asked. Thunder told him about the men and the dogs.

Lightning sighed, "How many dogs were there?" Thunder told him there were not many but they did look tough and mean. The brown wolf sighed again and looked up at Thunders' pack.

The wolves stood at attention as the leader spoke. "Brothers and sisters, your next assignment is to keep a very close watch on Caeth. As soon as you hear when he plans to attack Cavan, report back to me immediately." The wolves nodded and Lightning dismissed them. As they left, he turned to Thunder and said, "Brother, I want you to keep my cubs as far away from those dogs as possible, especially Star and Patch. We don't want a repeat of what happened to Logan and Blazes' littermates." Thunder nodded and replied, "I will do my best." As he turned to leave, Lightning called out, "Thunder, this mission is very important. The fate of Cavan's kingdom depends on us. We must not fail."

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	5. Chapter 4: A Happy Family

**CHAPTER 4**

**A Happy Family**

The sun rose over the mountains above a small kingdom, the Royal Kingdom which was nestled in a valley behind a large hill. Just over the hill, was the wall surrounding the village. It was massive in size and had six watch towers. The village inside the walls was very large. Past the village square were the homes. The peasant homes were made out of wood and brick. The nobles homes were made out white stone and were four to five stories high.

Just outside the village were large golden gates. Beyond the gates was a beautiful courtyard with many colorful flowers. In the middle of the courtyard was a fountain.

Sunlight seeped through the curtains and into the bedroom of the king and queen. As the light moved into the room, one could see that the walls were a beautiful white with gold trimming. Off to the far right was a white fireplace with pictures displayed on the mantle. Across from it was a large wooden bed. The sheets were satin, white in color and the cover was red velvet. Inside the bed lay two figures.

As a small ray of sun moved over the bed, the covers moved, revealing a man of forty-five with blonde hair and a blonde mustache. He yawned and stretched, rolling over and smiling at his wife, who was asleep next to him. She was a year younger than him and had long wavy red hair. The red satin nightgown she wore made a soft rustling noise as she turned over.

Her green eyes sparkled as she looked up at him. He smiled back and kissed her saying, "Good morning love." He stroked her cheek. "Did you sleep well?" She nodded, giggling softly and kissing his bearded chin.

Their romantic moment was interrupted when the two younger children, Aine and Ciaran, came running into the room. Aine was a cute little five-year-old girl with blond hair and blue eyes and wore a pink satin nightgown. Her seven-year-old brother, Ciaran, had red hair and green eyes like their mother. He was wearing green striped pajamas.

They jumped onto the bed, landing on their father. Meara laughed as the two began tickling Cavan. He turned around and grabbed them, standing up and spun them around in a circle. The two kids laughed and giggled as their dad fell backward onto the bed dizzy.

"Good morning Daddy." Aine said, smiling at her father as he slowly sat up. "Good morning Dad." Ciaran said. Cavan smiled and said good morning to both of them. Meara sat on the edge of the bed and as she stood up, her red nightgown feel down to her ankles and she put on a robe and headed out the door. "Mom, wait up!" the little boy called out as he ran after his mother. The king laughed, stood, picked up his daughter and walked down the hall.

* * *

Inside the dining room, Ciara was sitting at a long oak table, waiting for her family. She was a beautiful young girl of sixteen with strawberry blonde hair and bright green eyes. The nightgown she wore was satin, royal purple in color, and she wore white satin slippers.

The table she sat at had 16 chairs placed around it. There was a beautiful bouquet of flowers in the center of the table and two candles on both sides. The rug under the table was an oriental rug. A large oak china cabinet was on the wall next to the table. It was filled with beautiful plates, glasses and bowls.

Ciara heard footsteps coming towards her and turned around. She saw her mother and brother walking towards her, her father and sister following behind them. Smiling, she stood up and greeted them as they came into the room.

"Good morning Father, good morning Mother."

Cavan and Meara smiled at their daughter replying, "Good morning Ciara." The king walked over and sat Aine down in her chair, Ciaran moved to his and Cavan and his queen sat down. Cavan said a prayer and the family started to eat.

After a few minutes of silence, the five-year-old spoke up. "Daddy?" Cavan looked at her as she continued, "When we are done, may we go outside and play?" Her father smiled and nodded. Aine smiled and once she finished her breakfast, she ran up to her room to get ready to go play, Ciaran right behind her.

Cavan looked at Ciara, "Dear, would you go with your sister and brother?"

The princess nodded, replying, "Yes father." She finished eating and then excused herself, but before she left, she kissed her parents on the cheek and went to go help her brother and sister get ready. They were completely unaware of the event that would soon fall upon them.

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	6. Chapter 5: The Whistle First Warning

**CHAPTER 5**

**THE MAGIC WHISTLE / THE FIRST WARNING**

The sun shone brightly over the three children as they ran out into the back yard. Aine ran up the hill to a small patch of dandelions, her gold hair gleaming in the sunlight. The wind played with the hem of the green dress she wore as she sat down in the middle picking a few. Ciaran drew his wooden sword and began swinging and stabbing at an invisible enemy, the wind ruffling the red shirt he was wearing. His blue jean pants swishing as he fought. The oldest, Ciara, walked up to a tree and sat down, reading a book. She wore a blue dress with white trim and black shoes.

Aine began tying the dandelion stems together, making a crown. Suddenly, something shining in the grass caught her attention. Curious as to what it was, she set her crown down and walked towards the object. She knelt down and picked up; it was a gold whistle that hung from a chain of the same color. It also had a lightning bolt engraved on one side.

Ciaran looked up and saw his sister sitting in the grass. He finished his pretend battle and walked up to her calling, "Aine!" She turned around as her brother approached her. "What are you looking at Sis?" he asked as she stood up and showed him the whistle.

Ciara looked up from her book and saw her brother and sister looking at something. She called out to them, "Aine! Ciaran! Come here!" The two ran down the hill toward her and once they reached her, she asked what they were looking at. Aine handed her the whistle and she looked at it.

The little girl then asked her older sister, "What is it for?" Ciara looked at her and shrugged, responding, "I don't know, but Father might. Lets' go show him what you found." The two youngsters nodded and the three of them headed back into the castle to find their father.

* * *

Cavan sat in his winged chair reading a book in his library, an oriental rug laid under his chair. The walls were an emerald green with gold trim. A large circular window stood at the opposite end of the room from the door, looking out onto the front courtyard. Shelves of books encircled the room.

There was a knock at the door and the king looked up from his book, "Who is it?" Ciara answered Cavan closed his book, "Come in children." The three walked in and Ciara told her father that Aine had found something. He looked at the five-year-old asking, "What did you find my dear?"

She showed him the whistle and he smiled. "It has been a very long time since I have seen this." He said, taking it. The young princess looked at him confused and he motioned for them to sit with him. Cavan sat back in his chair, picking up Aine and setting her in his lap; Ciara and Ciaran moved to the small couch off to the side.

Cavan then said to them, "This is no ordinary whistle. A long time ago, I used it to summon a particular wolf. His name is Lightning." Ciara looked up and saw two stained glass windows, one was of her father, the other was a wolf.

"Is that him Father?" she asked pointing to the second one and her father followed her gaze and smiled.

"Yes, that is him." He replied, handing the whistle back to Aine. "All you have to do is blow it and he will come." He explained as the little girl looked at the whistle, then at the window of the wolf. At that moment, Meara walked into the room.

"Love, children, dinner is ready." She called and Cavan, Ciara and Ciarn left, only Aine remained, staring at the window. "Aine, dear are you coming?" her mother asked, breaking her from her trance.

"Yes Mommy." The little girl replied and as she followed her mother to the dining room, she thought to herself, _What made this wolf so special that he has a stained glass window of himself?_

The family sat in silence as they ate their dinner. Aine, already full, began playing with her food much to the annoyance of her older sister who glared at her. "Sis, a princess does not play with her food." Ciara said and the five-year-old stuck her tongue out. "Or stick their tongues out at their older sisters!" she yelled and the child glared back at her.

"You are not Mommy so you don't tell me what to do." Aine said and Meara looked at both of them.

"Ciara, Aine stop fighting and eat your dinner." She said and the two girls sighed and nodded.

"Daddy, why are you friends with that wolf?" Aine asked and her mother, brother and sister looked at Cavan, waiting for his reply.

The king finished his bite of steak and sighed, looking at his daughter. "Well my dear, you see…." He was interrupted as a servant knocked on the door.

"Your Majesty, there is a man who wishes to speak with you." He called through the door and the king sighed.

"Meara, children, please leave. I must speak with our guest alone." He said.

"But Daddy…." Aine whined and Cavan smiled at her.

"I will explain that later my child." He said, hugging his daughter. "Now please go." He replied and Meara ushered the children out. Once they were gone, he ordered the servant to let the visitor in.

The door opened and a man twenty years of age walked in. He had jet black hair and hazel eyes. The clothes he wore resembled that of the nobility status.

He bowed and the king smiled. "Welcome, please have seat." He said, gesturing to the chair next to him.

"Thank you Your Majesty." The young man replied and sat down. As he moved past, Cavan caught the distinct smell of smoke.

"Are you camping somewhere nearby?" the king asked and the man shook his head.

"The village I am from was burned down…." He said with a slight growl as he clenched his fists.

"I am sorry for your misfortune, is your family alright?" Cavan asked.

"Yes. We were the only ones who were able to escape." He replied, giving the king a hard look. "Be weary Your Majesty, for your greatest enemy has set out to destroy you and your wolf allies." The king's eyes grew huge at that remark.

"Caeth….has returned…." Cavan responded with a hint of anger in his voice. The man nodded. "If I may ask, what is your name young man?" the king asked and the man stood up.

"My name is Derin." He responded. "I came to warn you about Caeth. My business here is done. Thank you Your Majesty." Derin said as he bowed, turned around and walked out of the room, leaving Cavan alone.

_My family is in grave danger…._

**COMMENTS AND REVIEWS APPRECIATED!**


	7. Chapter 6: An Old Ally

**CHAPTER 6**

**AN OLD ALLY**

The sun shone brightly into the children's room. The walls were cream colored and had red trimmings. The curtains were also red and a large circular gold rug was in the middle of the room. Three iron beds were in the far end of the room. The left bed had white sheets and pillows with a purple blanket. The right bed had green sheets and pillows with a gold blanket. The middle white sheets and a large pink blanket with white pillows.

Aine was the first to wake up as the sunlight moved over her. She groaned, slowly opening her eyes and after a few seconds of rapid blinking, she sat up and yawned.

A few seconds later, she crawled out of the bed and got dressed. After buckling her overalls, she walked over to her sister, who was just waking up. Ciara turned over and saw her sister standing next to her with a comb, brush and hairbands in her hands. The sixteen-year-old sighed, knowing what her little sister wanted. She sat up, took the items and motioned for her sister to turn around. Using the comb, Ciara parted her sister's hair and pulled both sides up into two ponytails. After she finished brushing, Aine put on her tennis shoes and picked up the whistle as she walked towards the door.

"Aine, where are you going?" the older sister asked and the child sighed, turning around.

"I am going outside." She responded and before Ciara could ask another question, Aine walked out the room.

* * *

Aine sat in the shade of an old oak tree, staring at the whistle in her hand. The sunlight gleamed off it as she turned it around, looking at it. _All you have to do is blow it and he will come._ Her father's voice echoed in her mind as she studied the object. She thought for a minute, looked around, held the whistle to her mouth and blew. A loud whistling noise filled the air, then silence. She was about to blow it again when a bush nearby began to rustle. The movement startled the young princess and she turned around, losing her balance, falling backwards. She sat up, facing the bush. "Who….who's there?" she called out and a giant brown wolf stepped out. Aine crawled backwards, away from the animal as it moved forward.

The wolf stopped, lowered its head and as he raised it up, Aine noted a red collar with a lightning bolt pendant. "Are you…..Lightning?" she asked and the wolf smiled.

"Yes young princess." Lightning replied and Aine gasped.

"You can talk?!" She said and the wolf chuckled.

"Where is your father?" the wolf asked, a sudden sense of urgency in his voice. "I must speak with him immediately."

"Umm, he is at home…" Aine told him, slightly confused.

"Take me to him." Lighting asked and Aine gave him a suspicious look.

"What is going on?" she asked and the wolf looked at her.

"You will find out when I tell your father." Lightning replied and he hunched down and nodded towards his back. Aine slowly approached and climbed ontop of the wolf's back. As soon as she was on, the wolf bolted towards the castle.

* * *

Back at the palace Cavan, Meara, Ciara and Ciaran were eating breakfast. The king looked at his older daughter and asked, "Ciara, where is Aine? She usually never misses breakfast." Ciara finished her bite of blueberry pancakes and looked at her father.

"She went outside Father." she replied and her father immediately knew why. Before he could ask another question, the door burst open and Aine rushed in.

"Daddy!" she called running up to her father. "You were right, Lightning does respond to that whistle!"

_He's here….._Cavan thought as he walked over to his daughter. "Where is he baby-girl?" he asked and she pointed down the hall.

The king and his children walked down the hall and saw Lightning waiting for them at the end. Ciara gasped and Ciaran stopped. The wolf approached them and Cavan led them into the throne room. The room had green walls with gold trim and there was a raised platform at the far end of the room with two thrones. Aine was the first to break the silence. "Daddy, how do you know Lightning?" her father and the wolf smiled at each other.

"Sit down and we will tell you." Cavan said and the children sat down, Aine and Ciaran on the small couch and Ciara on the chair across from her siblings. The king cleared his throat before speaking. "Your grandfather was king at the time and he had become very good friends with a wolf, Lightning's father, Snow. Their friendship was so strong that the wolf and his pack would always come to the aid of the king whenever there was a battle or if the kingdom was in danger. That is when your grandfather decided to make Snow the Protector." He paused and looked at his son. "I was your age when I met Lightning."

The wolf continued, "The tradition has continued for generations and still holds true to this day. Very soon young prince, you will meet my son, Logan and when the time comes, you will take your father's place as King and Logan will take mine as the Protector." After a while, Cavan spoke up.

"Children, I would like to speak with my old friend alone." The two older children nodded and left, but Aine stayed, frowning.

"But Daddy…." She whined and Lightning chuckled. Cavan walked over to his daughter and gently pushed her towards the door.

"Sweetie, you can finish talking to him when I am done ok?" he opened the door and she huffed, stomping off. As soon as she was gone, the king closed the door and turned back to his friend. "It's good to see you again old friend." He said with a smile and the wolf smiled back.

"It is good to see you too." He replied and gave a serious look. "Cavan, there is something you must know."

"What is it?" The king asked, slightly nervous. Lightning took a deep breath before explaining.

"Your enemy, Caeth is planning to take over your kingdom." Cavan's eyes widened. _This is what the man last night was warning me about…._

* * *

Outside the room, Aine was kneeling down with her ear pressed against the door, her nightgown trailing on the floor. As soon as she heard Lighting mention Caeth, she stood up and bolted down the hall towards her room.

Ciara and Ciaran were sitting on their beds dressed in their pajamas talking when Aine burst through the door. Both siblings looked at their little sister as she stopped to catch her breath.

"What did you hear sis?" Ciaran asked and the little girl looked up at him.

"Caeth…is…going…to…attack…us…" she said and her siblings looked at each other.

"Are you sure?" Ciara asked and Aine nodded. Sighing, the teenager walked over to her little sister. "Aine, you don't need to worry about things like that." She said and the child gave her a hard look.

"But Sis….." she was interrupted as her sister gently coaxed her to her bed.

"Aine, Father is going to have fight, but you know he is strong and he has Lightning and his pack to help him." Ciara explained and Aine calmed down a little but couldn't help wondering Caeth was going to attack them.

* * *

"When is he going to attack?" he asked and his friend sighed.

"I don't know. I sent Thunder to find out, but Caeth's guards chased him away before he could find out." Noticing the worried look on Cavan's face, he continued, his voice strong. "I have sent Thunder and his pack to spy on Caeth at his camp. As soon as they hear when, they will report back to me and I will tell you." The wolf looked around the room and sighed. "The last time I was here was after…." At the thought of that painful memory, he sat down and clenched his eyes shut, holding back tears. Cavan sighed, walked over, kneeling down beside the animal and placing a hand on his shoulder. Lightning looked up at Cavan and gave a small smile.

"At least Blaze and Logan survived." Cavan said, trying to cheer up his friend and Lightning nodded.

"I just hope Star and Patch do not meet the same fate…." He whispered and looked out the window, unaware that history was about to almost repeat itself.

**COMMENTS AND REVIEWS APPRECIATED!**

**CHAPTERS 7-9 WILL BE UPLOADED NOVEMBER 30. **


	8. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

A light morning fog drifted through the forest, leaving the air a little damp. All the animals staid inside their homes, not wanting to go outside.

Inside the cave, Hawnu laid down with her two youngest cubs, Star and Patch. The youngsters were curled up beside their mother and after a few minutes passed, Patch awoke from his slumber. The cub slowly stood up, arched his back, stretched out his front paws and yawned. Then he turned to his twin sister who was still sleeping and grabbed her ear, pulling it. Star growled and Hawnu picked up her son by the scruff of his neck and moved him away from the still sleeping cub. She set him down and the young male began to whine. His mother chuckled and nudged him towards the mouth of their cave with her muzzle.

"Go on son." She whispered, continuing, "Star will play with you when she wakes up." Patch sighed and walked up to the entrance, sitting in the mouth. A few minutes later Kaze, Kori and Terra emerged from the shadows inside the cave. They walked up to their mother who turned around and looked at them.

"Mother. Kori, Terra and I are going into the forest to work on our powers." Kaze explained and Hawnu nodded. "Just be careful…" she said and the three sighed, shaking their heads as they walked away. Patch turned around jumped playfully at his other siblings. Kaze shoved him aside and said, "We'll play later kid. We've got stuff to do." The young cubs ears folded down as his older siblings walked away. He walked up to his mother and sat down in front of her.

"Mother?" he asked, continuing, "When will Star and I get our powers?" Hawnu chuckled and licked her son.

"Soon son." She said and he let out an annoyed growl, walking up to the mouth of the cave, lying down. _It's not fun being little…_ Patch thought to himself.

* * *

Kaze, Kori and Terra arrived at a small meadow and walked out of the forest, into the center. They all sat down and picked up their pendants in their paws. "Ready guys?" Kaze asked and the other two nodded. "Alright, now let's get started." They held the medallions out and closed their eyes, concentrating. Soon a small bright light began to encircle each cub, and then vanished into their collars.

The cubs opened their eyes, which were glowing brightly. After a few minutes, their eyes went back to normal and they shook themselves. Kaze looked at Kori and asked, "You ready to fight?" The male wolf gulped and walked forward. His sister looked at him and took a deep breath. She exhaled and a gust of wind shot out of her mouth. Kori stood firm as the wind blew his fur. He opened his eyes and grinned.

"Your wind is not strong enough Sis." He said and spun his head in a quick circle, opening his mouth. A large water tunnel shot out and hit its target, slamming Kaze into a tree. The wolf feel to the ground and staggered to her feet. After shaking her head, she growled and took a bigger breath and exhaled again. This time, large funnel cloud came out and Kori jumped out of the way. Kaze kept aiming at her brother, but kept missing. Kori then repeated his same attack from before and this time, Kaze's wind tunnel hit the water tunnel and the two forces pushed back and forth and finally exploaded, knocking both wolves to the ground. Terra, feeling excited from watching her siblings fight couldn't control herself.

"I want to fight too!" she yelled and before her siblings could say anything, Terra held her head back and let out a loud howl. Scant seconds later, the ground began to shake violently, the three cubs trying to keep their footing. The ground beneath Terra began to crack open and a large rock emerged, revealing a rock giant.

Kaze and Kori looked at each other and nodded. They both took deep breaths and exhaled, releasing huge water and wind funnels. The giant rock creature stumbled backwards, almost causing Terra to fall off, but the wolf kept her balance. She growled and lifted her right paw, moving the giant's rock arm and knocked her siblings into the trees nearby.

The two shook their heads and jumped as the giant rock creature tried to smash them. _I feel bad for not letting Patch come with us._ Terra thought as she and siblings continued to fight. _But he doesn't have his powers yet, so there would have been nothing for him to do._

"Hey Terra! Focus!" Kaze yelled and the wolf turned to see her sister hurl a large wind orb at her. Terra managed to duck in time, but was knocked off as Kori launched a sneak attack from behind. The rock giant stumbled back to the edge of the crater, and fell in, causing it to close up.

The three panted and after a while, Kori spoke up. "I think it's time to head back home. Don't you?" The other two nodded in agreement and three headed back to the cave, unaware of what they would walk in on.

* * *

The young cub laid in the mouth of the cave, waiting for his sister to wake up. A few minutes later, a faint sound caused his small ears to perk up. A figure emerged from the fog and the cub stood up, wagging his tail and barking happily.

Lightning smiled as he approached his son. Patch jumped around his father as the pack leader walked up to his mate. The young female cub stirred and stretched, arching her back and flexing her tiny claws. She yawned and looked up at her father. He smiled and licked her face, then looked up at his mate. "Hello love." Hawnu whispered and her mate nuzzled her neck. He softly nibbled her ear but she turned away.

"Not around the cubs love." She said and Lightning looked at the two little wolves.

"Star, Patch, why don't you go play for a while?" he asked and the two looked at him, confused.

"Mommy and Daddy need some alone time." Hawnu explained and the two cubs rushed off.

"Now that we are alone…" Lightning said in a sexual tone. Hawnu gave a suggestive smile and walked away, swishing her tail. "Oh, playing hard to get are we?" he asked with asked with a seductive smile as his mate gave a low growl.

Lightning approached his mate and she stood still as he tried to climb ontop of her. He got halfway on and she walked out from under him. "Oh love, don't you want me inside you?" he asked trying again, and this time, she turned around and bit his muzzle, growling. She let go and he shook his head. "That turns me on." He said and she chuckled.

"I know. Now you must turn me on." She said and he chuckled back, approaching her. He lightly nibbled her ears then moved his fluffy tail under her chin, causing her to growl in pleasure. He walked to one side and bit the back of her neck, causing her to shiver. She stood very still as he walked behind her and stood on his hind legs. Using his forelegs, he gripped her back limbs and carefully climbed over her. Once his manhood was even with her entry, he started to buck and she growled in pleasure. He pushed deeper and she growled even louder. His manhood began to grow inside her, causing her to let out an earsplitting howl. Lightning began to pant as he pumped faster and faster.

"Hawnu….I'm cumming!" he yelled and at that moment his seed exploded out inside of her and an orgasm coursed through her body, causing her to howl even louder. Lightning pulled himself out and Hawnu turned around to see a white liquid leaking from her mate. The two settled down on the ground and the alpha female sucked on her mate's dick, causing him to fall on his side and his left leg began kicking. "Don't stop….don't stop…." He moaned and she smiled, giving another low growl.

At that moment, the three older cubs walked into the cave. Kori immediately shut his eyes, Terra's mouth hung open and Kaze's eyes grew huge. "Mom! What are you doing to Dad?!" she yelled and her parents looked up, shocked. They jumped up and looked at each other.

"I wasn't doing anything to your father dear…." Hawnu said and Kaze gave her mother a suspicious look.

"Then why was Dad saying 'don't stop, don't stop'"? She asked and Lightning cleared his throat and spoke up.

"We'll tell you when you're older." He said and the Kori opened his eyes and the three of them mumbled, walking further into the cave.

Terra looked around and said to her parents, "Where are Star and Patch?"

"They went into the forest to play." Hawnu responded and Terra walked off into the cave thinking to herself, _I hope those two don't get into trouble…._

* * *

As the morning fog lifted, the camp slowly came to life. Men emerged from their tents, some yawning and stretching as they walked out. They all approached the middle of camp and some got started on the fire while others sat down on the logs around the fire pit.

It was not long until they had a big fire going and everyone sat down. The smell of oatmeal and bacon filled the air as a young servant boy came around, serving the men their breakfast. They chatted as they ate, but soon, a silence fell over them. They turned around and saw Caeth walking towards them with two dogs. The king stood in front of the fire and cleared his throat.

"Men, it has been brought to my attention that this sis the forest where Lightning and Thunder live." He gave a cruel smile before continuing. "To make sure those mutts do not learn of our plans, I am sending two dogs to sniff out the area. If they find any of Lightning or Thunder's pack members, they will kill them…" Right at that moment, a light breeze blew past them and the dogs caught a scent that made them go crazy.

The king smiled, bent down and released the animals from their leashes. As soon as they were free, the dogs dashed into the forest, heading straight for Star and Patch.

* * *

Unaware of the danger they were in, Star and Patch ran through the forest barking and howling happily. The young male hunched down and pounced, landing on his sister. Star yelped and growled, rolling over and tossing her brother to the side. "Now you're going to get it." She growled, pouncing at him. She hit him and the two rolled down a small hill laughing as they reached the bottom, landing in a heap. Patch got out from under his sister and growled, pulling her ear.

Suddenly, a noise was heard that made Star's other ear twitch. She swiped at her brother, causing him to let go, falling on his back. She walked very slowly toward a bush and Patch sat up, seeing his sister staring straight ahead. "Sis, what is it?" he asked.

"I heard something in the bushes." She replied and her brother walked up next to her. Patch started to say something, but Star shushed him and the two stared in silence at the bush as it started to shake. A growling noise was heard and Patch's ears folded down against his head and he backed away.

"Sis….I think we should get out of here…." He whispered and she turned to face her brother.

"Why?" she asked and at that moment, two dogs jumped out from behind the bush, snarling and bearing their fangs. Patch's eyes grew huge at the sight.

"That's why!" he yelled and when Star turned around and saw the dogs, her eyes to grew large and she turned around, yelping and bolted with Patch right behind her. The dogs growled and chased after the pups.

**REVIEWS APPRECIATED!**


	9. Chapter 8: Star & Patch's Narrow Escape

**CHAPTER 8**

**STAR AND PATCH'S NARROW ESCAPE**

In a cave not far from the pups, Hawnu heard the sounds of her cubs whining. She could tell by the sounds that they were in trouble. Lightning too heard the distress calls and went on high alert. Blaze and Logan also heard the cubs and like their parents, knew something was wrong. Kori, Kaze and Terra looked at their older brother and sister and then they looked at their mother who was standing at the mouth of the cave, frozen. Her protective instincts kicked in and she ran towards her pups with Blaze, Logan, Kori and Lightning right behind her. Kaze and Terra decided to stay behind and guard the cave. In Hawnu's mind she thought to herself _Please don't let it be too late._

* * *

The dogs had chased the two youngsters deeper into the forest. Star and Patch managed to lose them but knew it wouldn't be long. They frantically ran around, looking for a place to hide. Patch saw a small hole that had previously been dug into the side of a hill. He barked at Star and she followed him into the hole just as the dogs caught up to them. One ran after them and began digging at the hole, trying to get to his targets.

Patch growled as the dog got closer and closer. One paw got dangerously close and the young cub, attempting to protect himself and Star, bit the dogs paw and quickly let go as the dog yelped and backed out. He quickly recovered and growled, returning to his digging, dirt flying everywhere. The other dog began pacing, waiting for his turn. Both were completely unaware that two angry, protective parents was on their way, with three older cubs.

* * *

As Hawnu and the three cubs ran through forest, she said to her son, "Logan, you and your father will help me fight." Turning to the other two, she ordered, "Blaze, Kori, you will take Star and Patch back to the cave." They both nodded and Hawnu thought to herself _I will not let those dogs kill my cubs..._

* * *

The four wolves arrived, hiding behind some bushes. They peeked out and saw two dogs. One was pacing back and forth; the other was digging in a hole, trying to get the two young cubs hiding inside. Logan poised himself, ready to pounce, but his mother glared at him. He knew from the look, that it would be best to back down.

The three watched as Hawnu crept behind the bushes, toward the dog who was trying to get to her precious little ones. Growling low in her throat, she crouched down and with a loud growl, jumped out from behind her bush and chomped down on the dogs tail.

The Rottweiler yelped in pain as Hawnu dragged him away from the hole. He turned around and tried to attack the wolf, but she quickly let go and with one swipe of her paw, she knocked him to the ground. The other dog tried to attack her, but Logan jumped out and slammed into him, knocking the animal a good couple of inches from his mother.

As the dog struggled to get to his feet, Logan growled "stay away from my mother and siblings." The dog got back up and charged at Logan, teeth bared. As the dog got closer, Lightning jumped out, tackling it.

The alpha male stood up and growled, baring his teeth. "Leave my mate and cubs alone…"

Back inside the hole, Star and Patch lay crouched down. All they could hear was the sounds of barking, growling and snarling. Patch's ears perked up and he let out a small whimper. Not long after, a familiar face appeared above the hole, it was Blaze. She and Kori had crept over while their mother, father and brother fought the dogs.

Patch continued to whimper as Blaze dug at the hole. It didn't take long for the hole to widen just enough for Blaze's head to fit. She reached in and pulled out Patch, backing away, Kori walked over and reached in, grabbing Star by the back of her neck and pulling her out. The two raced back into the forest, leaving Hawnu, Lightning and Logan to their fight.

* * *

Blaze and Kori reached the cave and released the two youngsters. They looked at her and she knew by the look in their eyes what they wanted to ask. Blaze smiled and bend down, nuzzling them and said "Don't worry about Mother and Logan. They'll be back soon." The other two wolves rushed over, smelling the small cubs.

Terra looked up at Blaze and asked, "It was Caeth's dogs, wasn't it?" Her older sister nodded. A few minutes later, Lightning, Hawnu and Logan appeared, Logan limping slightly. Star and Patch rushed over to their parents and older brother.

"Mommy! Daddy! Logan!" they cried, rubbing up against each parent's leg. Tears in her eyes, Hawnu bent down and nuzzled her youngest cubs. Star saw her mother's tears and licked them away. "Mommy? Why are you crying?" she asked.

Lightning took a deep sigh and nudged her towards the cave. "Your mother lost two cubs your age a few years ago." He explained and the little cub peeked out at her mother and looked up at her father. "They were killed by the same dogs who were chasing you and Patch." He continued and Star's ears flattened against her head as she lowered it. Sensing that she was feeling somewhat guilty, Lightning settled himself next to her and licked her face. "It's not your fault little one." He whispered.

"But Logan got hurt…." She whimpered and her father sighed, gently nudging her with his muzzle. "You and Patch are his sister and brother, he would do anything to protect you two." He said and she nodded as Hawnu walked up to them.

"Star, Patch, I do not want you to go into the forest alone ever again…" she said and the two cubs nodded. "From now on, one of your older siblings will take you." She ordered and the other cubs moaned and grumbled.

Lightning stood up and suggested they all go inside to take a nap. Hawnu and the cubs agreed and walked into the cave to their respected spots. Hawnu turned around and saw Lightning sitting in the mouth of the cave and walked over to him.

"What is it my mate?" she whispered and he looked at her, concern in his eyes.

"If Caeth is willing to kill my cubs, who knows what he will do to Cavan's children." He said and Hawnu held her head under his neck. The alpha male sighed and looked at her, seeing the fear in her eyes. "You thought we were going to lose Star and Patch." Hawnu closed her eyes and nodded her head. "At least this time, we were able to save both of them."

**REVIEWS APPRECIATED AS LONG AS THEY ARE CONSTRUCTIVE!**


	10. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

Caeth was sitting by the fire, enjoying his lunch when he heard the yelping of his dogs. He turned around to see them running into the camp, ears down and tails between their legs. He squinted to get a closer look and caught a glimpse of bite marks and scratches. He closed his eyes and growled, setting his food down. _Those mutts failed to kill the wolves…._he thought to himself and Kothu walked up to him.

"Sir, our scouts have located a pack of wolves not far from here….we think they might be members of Thunder and Lightning packs." He reported and Caeth stood up. The king took a deep breath and turned around.

"Kothu, tell the men to begin preparing for battle. We will attack in three days." He said and Kothu saluted.

"Yes sir!" He said and ran off. The king sighed and walked into his tent and pulled out a piece of parchment. He picked up his quill and wrote a letter to his family explaining the events that were soon to come. He walked out of his tent and handed it to a messenger.

"Deliver this to my family." He said and the boy nodded, mounted his horse and rode off.

* * *

Ryanne sat on the steps leading up to the palace, head in her hands. A cold wind blew around her and she pulled her jacket closer around herself. It had been several days since her father left, and since then, she had not received a single letter from him. A few minutes later, the castle doors opened and the little girl turned around to see one of the servants.

"Princess, your mother wants you to come inside." He said and she huffed, standing up, brushing her pants and followed the servant inside. He closed the doors and Ryanne walked down the long corridor to the living room. She walked in and saw her mother and brothers sitting in their chairs around a warm fire, enjoying hot chocolate.

Jarlath turned around and smiled. "Hey sis, come sit by the fire." He looked at the servant ordering, "Bring another hot chocolate." The servant nodded and closed the doors. Ryanne walked up to her family and sat on the rug in front of the warm fire. She closed her eyes and focused on the warm air surrounding her. After a few minutes of silence, Dahy spoke up.

"Sis, you know Father won't be coming back very soon." He said and she shot an angry look at him.

"Daddy will come back." She growled, turning her attention back to the fire. _He promised._ She thought to herself as she watched the flames dance in the fireplace. A few minutes later, the servant came in with a cup of steaming hot chocolate.

He handed it to the little girl cautioning her to be careful. She nodded and took a sip, enjoying the warmth coursing through her body. Sorcha looked at her daughter and smiled. "Ryanne, sweetheart, you know your brother didn't mean that in a rude way." She said and the little girl rolled her eyes.

"I know Mommy." She said and continued to drink her hot chocolate. Dahy finished his and looked out the window.

"Mom, it's snowing!" he exclaimed and Sorcha looked up from her book to see her son running excitedly to the window. She walked up to him and saw a light snow falling from the sky.

"So it is." She said and the young prince jumped up and down asking if he could go play in it. The queen chuckled and told him as long as he put on a coat, hat and gloves, he could. The boy beamed and ran off to get his things and hurried out the door. Ryanne finished her drink and ran to her room to get her jacket, hat and gloves and ran outside to join her brother. Jarlath laughed to himself, put on his coat and followed his sister outside.

The two siblings played in the snow while their older brother sat on the steps watching them. Ryanne and Dahy had built a small fort for themselves and were having a snowball fight. Ryanne scooped some snow in her hands, packed it into a large ball and threw it at her brother. It hit him in the face, knocking him over. "Ow!" He yelled, continuing, "You're going to pay for that!" He also scooped up some snow and packed it into a ball, throwing it at his sister. She ducked and the snowball hit a tree.

"Missed me!" the little girl shouted out, throwing another snowball at her brother, this time hitting him in the arm. As the two continued their fight, Jarlath noticed a figure in the distance and stood up. Ryanne and Dahy paused their fight, seeing their brother hold up his left hand and walk towards them. Dahy turned around to see what his brother was walking towards and saw the figure.

"Who is that?" he asked and Ryanne turned around.

"I don't know." She replied and their older brother continued to walk towards it. As it got closer, the prince realized it was one of the messengers who went with his father.

"I have a message from your father!" the boy said and handed the note to Jarlath. Ryanned and Dahy rushed up to their brother as he opened it up. It read:

_Dear Family,_

_I will be attacking Cavan's kingdom in three days. In case I do not survive, Jarlath will become the new king. However, I hope to survive and I will see you all when I return. Children, be good and listen to your mother. _

_Love,_

_Caeth_

Jarlath took a deep breath and said thank you to the young man and he dashed off back into the woods. Ryanne looked at the letter then back at her older brother. "Jarlath, what did Daddy mean by 'in case I do not survive?" Her brother sighed and said he would tell her when they got inside. The three walked back inside the castle. A servant walked up to them and Jarlath handed him the letter telling him to give it to his mother. The servant nodded and walked off.

Dahy headed into the kitchen to get some food and Jarlath walked with Ryanne to her room. They walked in and sat on her bed. The princess looked up at her brother and he sighed, placing an arm around her. "Ryanne, Daddy is going to war with Cavan and in wars, people die. What Father meant was that he might or might not die and wanted us to know." Ryanne's eyes filled with tears and she turned away. Jarlath sighed and put an arm around her. "Sis, fighting is part of being a king." The little girl stopped crying long enough to say something.

"But I don't want to lose Daddy!" She cried and her brother hugged her.

"I know Sis, but remember this, Father is very strong and even though he puts himself in danger, he always comes out of it alive." He said, trying to reassure her.

_Then why do I feel this time will be different…._she thought as she hugged her older brother.

Meanwhile, back down in the living room, the servant walked in and handed the letter to Sorcha. She read it out loud to herself and sighed, sending the young man away. She then turned and looked out the window.

"Caeth, please be careful…." She said to herself, unaware that just outside her window she was being watched.

Just outside the window, two male wolves sat lurking in the bushes. One was black and the other was brown. The brown male turned to his companion and said in a hushed tone, "We must report to Lightning and Thunder at once!" His comrade nodded and the two dashed off into the forest.

* * *

The two wolves raced through the forest, jumping over stumps and roots until they came to a cave. They ran inside and saw Lightning sitting with his family. The brown wolf walked over to the Alpha and he stood up. "Hawnu, children, I will return shortly." His mate and cubs nodded as he walked outside with the other wolf.

"What do you have for me brother?" Lightning asked and the wolf took a deep breath and then explained that Caeth was going to attack Cavan in three days. The Alpha male thought for a second then stood up in an authoritative pose. "Gather both mine and Thunder's packs. We must begin training. Thunder is to lead the training while I am gone." The wolf asked where he was going and Lightning said he was going to warn Cavan.

"Cavan's kingdom must not fall to Caeth." He said and dashed off. Hawnu walked out and asked what was going on. The wolf told her and she hung her head down. Logan walked out and gently nudged his mother's head.

"Father will be alright Mother." He whispered and she looked up at him and licked his face.

"I know." She whispered back placing a paw on his and looking out into the forest. "But I still worry about him."

**REVIEWS APPRECIATED!**

**I NEED TO BE FULLY FOCUSED ON MY SCHOOL WORK SO, **

**CHAPTERS 10-12 WILL BE UPLOADED JULY 31.**


	11. Chapter 10: The Fountain of Fate

**CHAPTER 10**

**THE FOUNTAIN OF FATE**

Logan ran through the forest, stopping now and then to look for his father. After a few minutes, he finally found him sitting on a rock. Before he could say anything, his father called out to him, "What are you doing here Logan?" Logan stopped.

"I wanted to come with you." He said and his father knew he was lying. Lightning stood and turned around, facing his son.

"Your mother sent you." He said and his son nodded. "I thought so….." he sighed and the cub walked up to him.

"Father, what were you looking at?" he asked.

"I was thinking." Lightning replied and seeing the confused look on his son's face, he went on to explain that it was Caeth's attack and that he knew this would not be the first time, but this one would be worse and when Logan sat down next to him, he told his son about the first time Caeth attacked Cavan's kingdom.

"Cavan's army and my pack joined with Thunder and we fought hard, but not hard enough. Caeth's army had reached the gate of Cavan's kingdom where Cavan's father made his final stance. Caeth's forces were still too strong. His forces entered the city and there was death and destruction everywhere. It looked like the kingdom would be taken, but then Cavan's father showed up and alongside him was…..my father." At the mention of his grandfather, Logan's eyes widened and he gasped.

"Grandfather was there?" he asked and his father nodded, continuing the story.

"The four of us fought and at last drove Caeth's army back." The alpha male continued and his son looked at him in amazement.

"Father, why do you think it will be worse?" the cub asked. Lightning smiled and looked at his son.

"Come son, there is something I want to show you." He turned and walked away, Logan walking alongside him. The two came to a cave and the cub stopped as his father walked in. Lightning turned around and nodded. Logan took a deep breath and walked up to his father.

The two walked further and further into the cave until they came to a large stone ring. Logan walked up to it and noticed there was water inside it, but it had a mystical feel to it. "Father, what is this?" he asked and his dad smiled.

"Look into it and you will find out." Lightning replied. Logan stood up on his hind legs, placing his front paws on the outer edge. He looked, but only saw his reflection.

"I only see my reflection….." Logan said and Lightning walked over. The male picked up a pebble and dropped it into the water. Once the ripple disappeared, the cubs' eyes grew wide.

* * *

_Cavan's kingdom was surrounded by smoke, which rose up to the sky and flames as bright as the sun. The houses were burning and people were either dead, dying, or burning alive. Infants and children were crying for their parents and parents crying out to their children, desperately trying to find them. The castle as well was burning and Cavan's family was trapped inside. _

That vision disappeared and another one appeared_._

_This one was Logan's family. His mother had multiple severe injuries and was crawling on her stomach, trying to reach the cave before her attackers did, but was unable to. She collapsed to the ground and did not move again. The dogs reached the cave and Blaze, Kori, Kaze and Terra desperately tried to protect Star and Patch, but were unsuccessful. The dogs approached the young cubs and grabbed them by their necks. The two were thrown around the cave until they were dead._

* * *

"NO!" Logan yelled as he shut his eyes, turning and jumping way from the pool. Lightning walked over to the shaken cub.

"You saw what will happen if we fail." He said and his son turned to him with teary eyes. "That fountain is known as the Fountain of Fate. It shows what will happen should a mission like this fail and our pack uses it as a forewarning." He explained.

"How do we prevent it?" Logan asked.

"Simple, we warn Cavan. Now get some sleep, we will reach Cavan's kingdom in the morning." Lightning said and as the two settled down, Logan could not help but think about what he seen. Eventually, his eyes closed and he fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Back at home, Hawnu sat ontop of a boulder, overlooking the forest. She was so still, she looked like a statue. Thunder walked up and approached the female. Hawnu caught his scent as the wind blew and turned around to see the black wolf looking at her.

"Good evening Thunder." She said and he nodded.

"Good evening Hawnu." He replied and noticed a look of worry in her eyes. "Are you alright?" he asked and she sighed.

"Lightning left to warn Cavan about Caeth's attack and not long after he left, I sent Logan to find him and go with him." She explained. Thunder sighed and walked over to her.

"Hawnu, I know you are worried about your mate and son, but don't. Lightning is very strong and would not let anything happen to Logan. Besides, your son still needs training on his power and I cannot think of anyone better to teach him than his father." Thunder said and Hawnu smiled.

"I guess you're right." She replied and he chuckled. "I just worry about Logan because of what happened to his two littermates, Moon and Stardust…." She said and the black wolf sighed.

"I know how much that hurt both of you…" he said, placing a paw on her shoulder. "But Lightning told me that he has made a vow to NEVER let that happen again." Hawnu gave a small smile and walked past the male.

"Well, I better be getting home, good night Thunder." She said and he nodded.

"Good night Hawnu." He said and as the two went their separate ways, he thought to himself, _I hope they make it in time…._


	12. Chapter 11: The Second Warning

**CHAPTER 11**

**THE SECOND WARNING**

Lightning awoke as the sunlight peeked into the cave. He stretched and yawned, flexing his claws. Then he walked over to his son, pushing the wolf's head with his muzzle. "Son, wake up. Its morning and we must not waste any time." The young wolf groaned, glaring at his father. Logan looked outside and sighed. He slowly stood up and followed his father out of the cave.

Logan shivered as the cool morning breeze blew through his fur. Not long after he heard a loud growling noise he thought was coming from the ground underneath him, and he jumped, bumping into his father. Lightning chuckled and his son growled at him. "Logan, calm down, there is nothing underneath the ground. The growling noise you heard was your stomach…." Logan stood up and the two walked in silence until Lightning's ears twitched. Lightning sniffed the air and crouched down low, walking toward the source of the scent. Curious as to what his father was smelling, Logan followed his father and they came to a small clearing where a small herd of deer and fawns were grazing. Logan watched as hist father crept toward the herd.

Lightning crouched down behind a bush and peeked around it, scanning the herd and locked his eyes on a target: a young fawn that had strayed from the herd. He watched the youngster for a few minutes and then jumped out from his hiding place. The fawn saw him and turned away, running as fast as it could to get back to its mother, but was unsuccessful. Lightning tripped the baby and clamped his mouth around the youngsters' throat. Lightning kept his suffocating hold on the baby until it stopped breathing. Knowing it was safer to get his kill out of the open, he carried it to where Logan was waiting. The alpha sat the meal down and the two began to feed, unaware that the enemy was watching.

Crouched down in the bushes were two men dressed in all black. They sat in silence as the wolves continued their feast. One of the men whispered, "Are you sure that's Lightning?" and his companion rolled his eyes in annoyance. He squinted as the brown wolf looked up and he saw the unmistakable lightning bolt pendant. Eyes wide, he looked at his comrade.

"That's him! We must report to Caeth immediately!" he said and the other man looked at him confused.

"But weren't we supposed to…." He was cut off as the other scout glared at him.

"Do you want to become wolf food?" he asked and the other man shook his head. "Then let's go!" The two rushed back to camp, unaware their scents had already been picked up.

Lightning sniffed the air and growled. "Son we must go….. someone is watching us." Logan gave his father a confused look, but Lightning pushed him with his muzzle and the young wolf knew better than to argue with his father. They abandoned the kill and raced towards Cavan's kingdom.

* * *

The two scouts reached camp and found Caeth sitting in his tent. They walked up to him and saluted. The king nodded and the two men sat down. "We found Lightning sir." The tall man said and Caeth smiled.

"Did you follow my instructions?" He asked and the two men looked at each other, gulped and shook their heads no. Furious, the king stood up and grabbed the men by their throats, lifting them off the ground. "YOU WERE TO KILL THAT WOLF AND ANY THAT WERE WITH HIM THE MINUTE YOU SAW THEM!" The two men gasped as he squeezed their throats, and released them, allowing them to fall to the ground. The king turned his back on them and growled, "Get out of my sight….." The two men struggled to their feet and once they were up, they rushed out of the tent before Caeth could change his mind. Caeth sat down and rubbed his hands on his head and sighed. A few minutes later, Kothu walked in and Caeth turned and looked at him.

"What do you want?" he growled and the man gulped.

"The recruits will be arriving tomorrow your Majesty." He said and the king smiled at him.

"Excellent….you are dismissed." He said and Kothu walked out. As he left, Caeth smiled to himself and whispered, "This will be a fight that wolf will never forget…."

* * *

The two wolves ran through the forest for what felt like hours when they finally came to a clearing. Logan stopped beside his father and looked in awe of the sight below him. "Father, is this…." Lightning smiled and nodded.

"Yes son. This is Cavan's kingdom." He answered and Logan continued to stare until he noticed his father was already half-way down the hill. The young wolf raced down and met his father at the bottom. The two animals walked up to the kingdom gates and Logan looked around noticing over a hundred guards and when they approached the one at the gate, Lightning sat, allowing his pendant to show and the guard smiled and bowed.

"Welcome Lightning, I see you brought a cub with you as well….." He said and moved aside as the gate opened. As the two walked through the streets, Logan was overwhelmed by all the sights and smells. Suddenly he felt a tug and turned around. A toddler had grabbed onto his tail and wouldn't let go. Lightning chuckled as the child tugged on his son's tail and the little girl giggled as the young wolf had decided to humor her by gently brushing her face with his tail. Eventually the girl's parents came over and took her home. The two continued on their way to the castle.

When they finally arrived, the guard at the door smiled and open the door for the two wolves and when Logan stepped inside, his lower jaw dropped as far as it could go. Lightning reached up with his paw and closed his son's mouth. "Son, it's not polite to hang your mouth open." He whispered and suddenly he heard a familiar voice.

"Lightning!" a young girl called out and the wolf looked up to see Aine running toward him. She hugged him.

"Hello Princess." He said and she smiled at him. "Where is your father? I must speak with him at once." The little girl dashed off and the two wolves looked at each other and ran after her. Aine lead them down the hall and into the throne room.

"Daddy! Lightning is back and he brought another wolf with him." She said and Cavan smiled as the two walked in.

"Hello Lightning. This must be Logan." Cavan said when the wolves approached. Lightning nodded and gave a serious look.

"Cavan, I must talk to you in private." He said with a serious tone and that told Cavan Lightning's news was not good.

"What is it old friend?" he asked and the wolf walked off into another room, the king right behind him. After Cavan closed the door, Lightning sighed and looked up at him.

"Cavan, I have received word from Thunder that Caeth's army is closer than we thought. The attack is to happen in three days and….." Lightning stopped for a second and all Cavan needed to know was in his friend's eyes.

"I see…" the king said in a troubled voice. "Is there a chance of defeating him." The wolf sighed and nodded.

"But this time, it will take more than just my pack and Thunder's. Several of my cubs are now old enough and have been working on their powers, including Logan. With my children, I believe we can win this."

As the two continued to talk, Logan was listening on the other side of the door with one ear pressed up against it. He gulped and turned to the child watching him. "What is it Logan?" she asked and he took a deep breath.

"War is coming…." He replied and her eyes grew wide. The wolf turned from her and looked out one of the large windows in the room. "And this one will be worse than the last." Before Aine could ask any questions, her father and Lightning walked back into the room and the two looked at the children.

"Aine, come, it's time to go to bed." He said as the child frowned and crossed her arms. Cavan chuckled and picked up the stubborn child. Lightning chuckled and motioned for Logan to come with him.

"Logan we must go home and retrieve the others training at once. We will return tomorrow." The alpha said and his son nodded. "And this time, there is no room for error…." Lightning whispered as he and his son left the castle and walked back to the forest.

* * *

It was dark by the time Logan and Lightning returned to the cave. As soon as they walked in, Lightning was bombarded by fur and barking, especially Star and Patch. Hawnu chuckled and walked up to Logan and licked his face. Logan nuzzled his mother and the two sat down and watched the mob of fur. After a few minutes, the cubs all calmed down and Lightning walked to the mouth of the cave and howled.

A few minutes later, his entire pack, including Thunder and his pack, arrived at the cave and they all sat in a circle with Lightning in the middle.

"Brothers and sisters, as you all know, Caeth has planned to attack Cavan's kingdom. My son, Logan and I have warned Cavan and we all know that war is inevitable." He turned to Thunder and continued, "Thunder, your pack will meet us at Cavan's castle and we will start our training there." He then turned to his pack, "Everyone else will come with me and my family in the morning." The wolves looked at each other and then back at their alpha as he bent his head and took a deep breath. "You are dismissed." As everyone filed out, Lightning walked up to Thunder. "Be careful my brother." Thunder looked him in the eye and nodded. Once all the wolves were gone, Hawnu walked up to Lightning and when he looked at her, she frowned and smacked him in the face.

"LIGHTNING, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? YOU KNOW STAR AND PATCH ARE TOO YOUNG TO FIGHT." She yelled as he massaged his cheek where her paw had connected.

"Hawnu, calm down." He said and she glared at him. "Of course Star and Patch are not going to fight, and neither are you." When he said that, she gave him a look of anger and disbelief.

"Why not?!" She said.

He sighed, replying "Because our little ones need at least one parent to look after them, as well as the pack. Yes, Logan would become the alpha male, but we still need an alpha female. Besides, who is going to keep Star and Patch out of trouble?" She chuckled when he said that and realized he was right. The cubs all looked at him and he smiled telling them they all need to go to bed.

"We have a long trip ahead of us children. You need to get your sleep." He turned and looked at the two little ones wrestling on the ground. "That means you two as well." He said and the two stopped and slinked up to their mother and snuggled up next to her. Lightning chuckled and laid down in the mouth of the cave. As he looked out, he couldn't help but feel that this fight would be very different from the last one.

**REVIEWS APPRECIATED AS LONG AS THEY ARE CONSTRUCTIVE!**


	13. Chapter 12: Training Preparations

**CHAPTER 12**

**TRAINING PREPARATIONS**

A light morning fog covered the forest as the wolves rose from their slumbers. They all sat in front of Lightning's cave, waiting for him and his family to come out. After a few minutes, the two alphas and their cubs emerged, Star and Patch sleeping on their mother's back. Lightning stopped and looked out at the crowd before him.

"Brothers and Sisters, today we begin our journey to Cavan's kingdom. When we get there, we will go straight to the castle. Cavan has graciously prepared a room for all of us. He has also granted us permission to use his hunting grounds for our meals." As he finished, he heard one of them ask about Thunder and his pack and Lightning explained that they will meet up with the rest of them tomorrow. "Now, let's get going." The alpha said and the crowd moved, creating a path as the family walked by and the pack followed behind them.

* * *

Cavan's castle was busy with activities. The cooks were going about their daily routines and the maids and other servants were busy getting the castle ready for their guests.

Cavan walked down the hall to the ballroom to see how the preparations for Lightning and his pack were going. He opened the huge oak doors to see maids and butlers placing large, soft pillows in groups throughout the room. One of the maids looked up at him and bowed as he walked to her and smiled. "Everything looks good." He said and she smiled back. At that moment, Cavan heard Aine's voice calling him from down the hallway. He smiled and shook his head chuckling to himself as he walked into the hall and turned to see a humorous sight.

Aine and Ciaran were standing in front of him covered in mud. Aine had mud in hair and all over her clothes and smeared on her face. Ciaran looked just like his sister. Mud was also falling off them and had formed a puddle under their feet. Cavan had to take a deep breath to keep himself from bursting into laughter.

"What happened to you two?" He asked and Aine glared, pointing at her brother.

"He pushed me into a mud puddle!" She shouted.

"I did not!" the young prince yelled back.

"Did to!"

"Did not!"

"DID TO!"

"DID NOT!"

Cavan sighed as the two argued back and forth and finally held up his hand. "Children, **that's enough**." He said firmly. At that moment, a maid walked into the hall and he motioned to her. The young woman walked over and he said, "Missy, take my children upstairs for a bath. I don't want them dirty when our guests arrive."

"But Daddy!" Aine yelled and her father cut her off.

"Not now dear, we will finish this later." He said as the maid ushered the two children upstairs and into the bathroom. Cavan took another deep breath and thought to himself, _Why must those two constantly argue….._

* * *

The wolves had been traveling in silence all day when it was suddenly broken by Terra. "Father, are we almost there?" She asked with a slight annoyance in her tone.

Lightning responded, "Yes my daughter, wear not far, it is just over that hill."

"Well it's about time!" Kori called out. "My paws are killing me!" Lightning chuckled and told him they would have plenty of time to rest when they got there. He glanced over at Star and Patch who were still snoozing on their mother's back. Patch yawned and rolled over to far, falling off his mother's back. His father smiled and nudged the pup, helping him to his feet.

"Daddy, can I ride on your back?" the little one asked and his father shook his head no. "But Daddy!" the pup whined and the alpha male shook his head again.

"We are almost there son" He said and the pup huffed, following close to his father.

* * *

Aine sat at the window, looking out. Meara walked up to her and smiled. "Aine, what are you looking at?" she asked.

Aine replied, "I'm watching for Lightning Mommy." The queen chuckled and lifted the child off the seat.

"Hey!" The little girl yelled.

"Sweetie, you don't need to sit and wait for them. They will be here soon." She said and the little girl huffed and followed her mother down the hall and into the kitchen.

* * *

Meanwhile, Lightning and his pack arrived at the gates to the kingdom. The gates were huge and were made out of white wood, the framing around the doors were made out of white stone. Two guards peered over the wall and when they saw Lightning, one of them gave the signal to open the doors. The wolves walked through the doors as they opened and once they were all in, they all turned to see the door slam shut behind them.

Once they turned around the pack members stared in awe at the city that lay before them, Star and Patch yipping and yelping in excitement.

As the pack walked through the castle gates. Lightning smiled and when they got to the front door of the castle, he let out a howl to signal their arrival. Not long after, the door opened and a young woman wearing a maid outfit greeted them.

"Welcome Lightning. Cavan will meet you all in the throne room." She said.

"Thank you." The alpha replied, and walked in, the pack right behind him.

They entered the throne room and saw Cavan standing in the middle with his family. The king smiled as his friend and the pack settled down on the pillows scattered around the room.

"Welcome everyone." Cavan said, "I hope you all will enjoy your stay here. Everyone is welcome to join my family for dinner." He said and he and his family walked out, leaving the wolves alone. As soon as the royal family was gone, Lightning turned to his pack.

"Listen up everyone, after dinner, we all need to get a good night's rest because we have a long few days ahead of us." He said and the wolves nodded. "Now that we have that out of the way, Hawnu and the other females will stay here and take care of the younger cubs, with Aine and Ciaran help, now, let's go eat." He said and the others nodded in agreement. They all stood up and followed Lightning to the dining hall. As they walked, Lightning thought to himself, _I hope Thunder and his pack make it tomorrow…_

**REVIES APPRECIATED AS LONG AS THEY ARE CONSTRUCTIVE!**

**CHAPTERS 13-15 WILL BE UPLOADED SEPTEMBER 3O.**


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